The Rockford Files

TNT is kicking off a new Mystery Movie Night, starting with Scott Turow's 'Innocent' (premieres Tues., Nov. 29, 9PM ET), starring Bill Pullman as a man charged with murdering his wife, played by Marcia Gay Harden, and Alfred Molina as his defense attorney. In honor of this series of best-selling whodunit stories brought to the small screen, we rounded up the smartest detectives in TV history.

From an OCD gumshoe-for-hire to a no-nonsense Scotland Yard sleuth, a sassy high-school snoop and a P.I. with facial hair as famous as he was, check out our gallery of the top 20 smartest TV detectives of all time.

Do your keen powers of perception tell you we've missed someone? Add your own favorites in the comments.

Hot on the heels of news that Davd E. Kelley's reworking of 'Wonder Woman' has bitten the dust, we hear that the rebooted 'Rockford Files' has also been nixed. Again. At least for now.

According to deadline.com, NBC has closed the book on the series for the current development season after writer David Shore found himself committed full-time to his duties on 'House.' With Shore unable to focus on 'The Rockford Files,' the project has been shelved.

The veteran Fox medical drama had planned an ambitious multi-episode arc featuring Dr. House on the road. However, when that arc was scrapped in the advanced stages, Shore had to jump in and help re-break stories for a significant portion of the season, which also recently grew larger after Fox ordered an extra episode.

If you only knew Clayburgh from her work on the sometimes-outrageous Manhattan drama, you probably had more of a connection to her than you think. She made several appearances on 'The Practice', 'Nip/Tuck', 'Law & Order', and played 'Ally McBeal's mother.

Away from TV, here's another piece of Clayburghia: did your high school ever put on a production of 'Pippin'? ('fess up!) Clayburgh was 'Pippin's original Catherine on Broadway in the early 1970s.

Not all TV producers/writers/creators are well-known, but Cannell was. That will happen when you are involved so many shows (in his case, more than 40). Even casual TV fans know the guy who rips the paper out of the typewriter and throws it up in the air at the end of his shows.

Since the 1960s, Cannell did many shows, either as a writer, creator, producer, or director (and sometimes all of those). He even acted, and had a recurring role on ABC's 'Castle.'

Here's my list of the great Cannell shows. Feel free to add yours in the comments below.

OK, that's not really the reason. Insiders tell Vulture that the pilot episode that was delivered to NBC executives had "lackluster" direction, looked like it was shot in the 1970s and was more of a direct remake than a new, modern take on the private investigator show -- it was reportedly just bad all around. Producer Dawn Parouse spearheaded a new edit of the pilot that the network liked a lot more, but it might be too little too late.

For instance, NBC is bringing back the mystery series 'The Rockford Files' with Dermot Mulroney in the role that James Garner turned into a classic TV crime fighter. CBS has also ordered a remake of the procedural cop classic 'Hawaii Five-O' with Scott Caan and Jean Smart.

Normally, my gut reacts to a TV remake the same way a person who just washed his car reacts to a line of dark clouds (a lot of cursing and shaking of fists at God or some other celestial being). However, if done right, anything has the chance to be good... unless it's one of the following cop serials, which should never be touched by a TV producer ever again.

In the original 'Rockford Files,' Noah Berry, Jr. played Rocky, Jim's father, who served as both Jim's buddy and foil. They hung out together and understood each other. Rocky had been a truck driver and had a no-nonsense, clear vision of things.

He'd give Jim advice or just voice his opinion, often in a wry way. Presumably in NBC's version, which 'House' creator David Shore is overseeing and also involves 'The Office's' Steve Carell as executive producer, Beau Bridges as Rocky will be the same kind of guy.

Dermot Mulroney has already been cast as the titular P.I., and 'Dollhouse' and 'Firefly' star Alan Tudyk will play Jim Rockford's cop friend, Detective Dennis Becker. Now, add Beau Bridges to the mix, as the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning star will play Jim's father and BFF.

Bridges, who earned an Emmy nomination for playing Jason Lee's dad on 'My Name Is Earl,' will co-star as Rocky, a truck driver who is not only his son's best pal, but the dispenser of (sometimes unsolicited) advice on Rockford's cases.

File this under good casting news: 'Firefly's' Alan Tudyk has reportedly joined the cast of NBC's upcoming 'Rockford Files' reboot, which stars Dermot Mulroney as the titular character, Jim Rockford. Tudyk, who also appeared on 'Dollhouse' and 'V,' will play Det. Dennis Becker, the only cop who seems to get along with Rockford's "slightly crumpled" and "cynical" personality. 'House's' David Shore wrote the pilot. [Hollywood Reporter]

Alan Tudyk, best known as the pilot Wash in the television series 'Firefly,'will be taking the role of Detective Dennis Becker on the upcoming revamp of 'The Rockford Files.' The new series is being developed by 'House' creator David Shore. The role of Becker was originated by Joe Santos in the 70's series.

Tudyk is an excellent actor, but the poor guy seems to be stuck as either a villain or a supporting role. In 'Firefly,' his character was so disposable (spoiler alert!) that they killed him in the movie. In 'Dollhouse,' he was the Joker (or at least a Joker-like villain). In 'V,' he was an evil alien. On the other hand, he's working. In this day and age, it's impressive simply to be a working actor whose name is known.

He plays both the villain and the sidekick well. Here's hoping some success for the remake of 'The Rockford Files.'

Mulroney did a brief turn on 'Friends' in 2003, but his most famous role was the object of Julia Roberts' obsession -- and Cameron Diaz's fiance -- in 'My Best Friend's Wedding.' 'The Rockford Files' is his first major shot at TV.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mulroney will star in the much anticipated NBC reboot of the 'Rockford Files.' In it, Mulroney will play the titular character, Jim Rockford, a "slightly crumpled" and "cynical" man who is "easily irritated by morons." Already, it's safe to say that Rockford will encounter many of them along the way.

The role was famously originated by James Garner, who led the show for six seasons on NBC. During that time, 'Rockford Files' won a slew of Emmys, including Best Actor in a Drama Series (Garner) in 1977 and Best Drama Series in 1978. The show was subsequently nominated for its final two seasons.

If you loved The Rockford Files and you own the season sets, you'll probably want to buy Volume 1 of the movies (four in this batch) that is being released tomorrow. They weren't as good as the series, of course (sort of like the Spenser: For Hire movies that Robert Urich did after that series ended), but they're actually pretty good.

And season 6 of Kate & Allie is out. That reminds me: I still have to get season 5.

The Rockford Files was one of my favorite shows as a kid. When I got my first car I even looked around for one just like his. So this news that NBC is doing a remake of the show has me both excited and scared. Why try to redo one of the classic private eye shows of all-time?

Maybe because it is one of the classic private eye shows of all-time. House creator David Shore is writing a new, updated version of the show, and if there's one thing that makes me feel better about it is the fact that Shore hates updating shows like this but made an exception because it's one of his favorite shows, too.